Advertisement

Touch of class

Reading Time:2 minutes
Why you can trust SCMP
0

It is not every day that the Philippines' distinctive brand of democracy shows up the rest of the world.

With President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's candour this week, however, she has taught many more powerful democratic leaders some interesting lessons - even if she has helped fuel a heated local debate.

Bantering with reporters, Mrs Arroyo calmly batted off questions about her sex life with apparent good humour. 'Plenty,' she said with a laugh when asked about her intimate relations with her husband, who was even more frank when quizzed himself a few hours later.

The Philippines is Asia's largest Catholic country and, not surprisingly, the issue has stirred some powerful emotions.

Behind it all was a serious issue, of course. Mrs Arroyo has suffered from steadily growing gossip and innuendo about the state of her marriage - some of it recently appearing in the more ribald sections of Manila's famously competitive press.

A well-timed question some may see as excessive actually helps the process of putting it all in perspective - a dynamic happily not unknown in the more open systems of the region.

Advertisement